Wigan: Maynor Figueroa commits to Latics

WIGAN defender Maynor Figueroa has signed an improved contract with the club.

The deal, like the previous one, runs until June 2012 and comes as reward for his impressive form this season, which has seen the 26-year-old linked with a move away from the DW Stadium.

The Latics confirmed the agreement on their website this afternoon in a bid to end what they called “vicious and potentially damaging rumours” surrounding the player over the past few days.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said: “Maynor is a top professional, undoubtedly one of the best I have worked with in my time in the game and I am very happy that we have been able to reward him in this manner and put an end to all the silliness surrounding him in recent weeks.

“I have talked to Maynor at length, as a fellow Spanish speaker it helps that we can communicate very clearly with one another.”

Martinez hit out on Wednesday night at what he called the “disgusting” speculation surrounding the Honduran, following reports the player had gone on strike in an apparent attempt to engineer a move.

The Spaniard said today: “He has never spoken to me about wanting to leave the club. He is settled here and now just wants to focus on doing well for us.

“I said all along that if we decide to sell any of our most consistent performers, it will be only when the time is right for Wigan Athletic, with that money reinvested in order to move the club to the next level.”

Figueroa added: “I am glad all the talk is over now and I can concentrate 100% on playing football and doing well for Wigan Athletic.”

He arrived at Wigan in December 2007 from Deportivo Olimpia, initially on loan, and went on to become the first Latics player to start every match of a Premier League season during 2008-09.

Meanwhile Wigan could be without captain Mario Melchiot for the visit of Everton tomorrow in the Barclays Premier League.

Melchiot had to come off with a neck problem in the Latics’ 2-1 defeat at Blackburn on Wednesday and faces a late fitness test.

Chris Kirkland is still recovering from the collarbone injury that he sustained in training last week, so Serbian loanee Vladimir Stojkovic is likely to continue in goal.

Fellow goalkeeper Richard Kingson is still at the African Nations Cup with Ghana, but otherwise, Roberto Martinez has a full squad to choose from.